Baby carriage and hood therefor



Feb. 8, 1938. c. HEDSTROM, JR 2,107,940

BABY CARRI AGE AND HOOD THEREFOR Filed. June 20, 1936 Patented Feb. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BABY CARRIAGE AND HOOD THEREFOR Application June 20,

Claims.

This invention relates to baby carriages, doll cabs and the like, and to the hoods that are hinged to the bodies thereof.

A baby carriage is commonly provided with a 5 hood that is hinged to the body of the carriage so that it can rest upon the top part of the body at either end thereof. The hoods are commonly wider than the body and hence outstand beyond or overhang the body. The hinge and hood construction also is usually such as to necessitate this arrangement.

The present tendency of baby carriage design is towards so-called stream-lining wherein the body is given smooth flowing lines and wherein sharp breaks in the lines are objectionable.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a baby carriage having a hood wherein the overhanging of the hood with respect to the body is eliminated and wherein the line of the hood merges with or is a continuation of the line of. the body without an abrupt break at the junction of the two.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a baby carriage having a hood that is pivotally connected with the body of the carriage in such a way that the curved end of the hood can rest upon the top of the body with the sides of the hood substantially flush with the sides of the body.

A yet further object of the invention is the provision of a baby carriage having a hood that is pivotally connected with the body in such a way that the hood can be reversed in its position upon the body to rest either upon the front or the rear part of the body and in either position to be substantially flush with the sides of the body.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a hood hinge so constructed as to permit the hood to rest upon the top of the body of the carriage with the sides of the hood substantially flush with the sides of the body.

A further object of the invention is a hood and hinge construction wherein the hood fabric can be extended completely to the corners of the hood, thereby to eliminate the triangular openings and exposed bows of the present usual construction.

A yet further object is generally to improve the construction of baby carriages and hoods therefor.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a baby carriage or doll cab embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of. the baby carriage of Fig. 1, taken along line 22 of Fig. 1.

1936, Serial No. 86,300

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail taken along line 33 of Fig. 2, and illustrating particularly the hood connection between the hinge and the body.

Fig. 4 is a section taken along line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the hinges.

The baby carriage or doll cab embodying the present invention comprises the body l0 mounted on the running gear l2 and having the pusher handle 14. The body I0 can be of any suitable or desirable configuration preferably having smooth or stream lined contours. The open top of the body is formed by an elliptical frame member Hi to which the reed side wall fabric 18 is secured. The body has other frame members 20, see Fig. 2, which are secured to the top frame member l6 and are suitably curved to maintain the fabric side walls in the desired configuration and to receive the running gear.

The body is provided with a hood 22. Said hood is composed of wooden end bows 24 and 26, the ends of, the how 24 being provided with reduced extensions 28 which are fixed in holes in the ends of the bow 2D to secure the two bows in the proper angular relation. A woven reed fabric 39 is attached to the bows.

In accordance with the present invention the spacing between the legsof the bows is substantially equal to the spacing between the side portions of the body frame member l6 and the curvature of the bows also conforms substantially to the curvature of the end parts of the body member [5. The hood is intended to rest upon the body frame member, in vertical alignment therewith, without overhanging the body so that the sides of the hood are substantially flush with the sides of the body, as is illustrated particularly in Fig. 4.

The hood is also reversible so that it can rest upon either end portion of the body, at will.

Also in accordance with this invention hinge members are provided which pivotally connect the. hood with the body in such a manner as to permit the hood to rest upon either end of the body and also to permit a hood construction wherein, the sides of the hood can be substantially flush with the sides of the body. One of the hinge members is illustrated in Fig. 2. Two hinge members identical in construction except that they are rights and lofts are employed, the hinge members being secured to the corners of the hood where the bows are-joined.

Each hinge member comprises a flat plate 32 which is somewhat wider than the thickness of the bows 24 and 26 and underlies one of the ends of the bow 24 and also the cooperating end of the bow 26 and is secured to the bow 24 by screws 34. The plate 32 at the outer side thereof has an upwardly reflexed plate portion 36 which overlies the hood fabric 22 at the corner of the hood. The plate 36 is referably given an ornamental stream line shape that can approximately conform to the appearance of the frame 38 of the hood window. The plate 36 serves to cover the hood fabric at the corner and to conceal the corner and improve the appearance thereof. The plate also provides enhanced rigidity to the flat intermediate attaching plate 321.

The plate 32 at the side opposite the upstanding plate 36 is provided with a downwardly reflexed arm 46 which extends forwardly of the hood corner within and alongside of the body frame member [6 and at its forward end is provided with an aperture 42 through which a pivot screw is passed. The pivot screw comprises essentially an eye 44 having a threaded shank 48 which is passed loosely through the aperture 42 and is screwed into the body frame member I6, thereby hingedly connecting the arm 46 with the body. A washer 48 can be located on the shank of the eye between the arm 40 and the frame member It to provide a side bearing for the arm.

The construction of the hinge for the other corner of the body is the same as has been above described. With this arrangement the hood need only be as wide as the body and can rest upon the top edge of the body without overhanging it and the sides of the hood can be flush with the sides of the body. The arms 40 extend forwardly of the hood corners to their pivots on the body sumciently far to permit the hood to rest either upon the rear or front portions of the body as may be desired. The dotted line position of the hood in Fig. 1 illustrates the hood as resting upon the front portion of the body. The pivot eyes 44 also constitute means for securing a cross strap 56 to the body, thereby dispensing with the necessity for other strap attaching means.

The above described arrangement also permits the improved construction of hood here shown. In previous carriages where the hood was such that it stood out beyond the sides of the carriage, the hood bows were ordinarily secured to metal corner members that constituted parts of the hinges. The hood fabric thereby had to be terminated short of the corner so that the hood was open at the corner.

The present construction is cheaper in that the hood bows can extend to the corners and can be secured directly together, thereby eliminating the metal corner members. The hood fabric also can be and is carried completely to the corners, thereby giving the hood a better and more finished appearance.

In the claims the expression baby carriage is intended to include a doll cab 01' the like.

I claim:

1. A baby carriage comprising a body having a top opening, a hood on said body having wooden bows joined directly together at the corners of the hood, a hood fabric on said bows, said fabric overlying the corners of the hood, and hinge members secured to said hood at the corners thereof having arms located within said body opening and having pivotal connections with said body interiorly thereof, said hinge members also having plates integral therewith which overlie the outer faces of the hood fabric at the hood corners.

2. A baby carriage comprising a body, a hood on said body, hinge plates secured to one of the end faces of said hood, said plates having integral portions which overlie the outer faces of the hood at the corners thereof, said plates also having integral arms which extend downwardly into the interior of the body and forwardly of the hood, and means pivotally connecting the forward parts of said arms with said body.

3. A baby carriage comprising a body having an open top, a hood on the top of said body, hinge means connecting said hood and body including arms carried by said hood and extended into the open top of said body, and screw eyes pivotally connecting said arms with said body, said screw eyes also constituting securing means for a body cross-strap.

4. In a baby carriage construction, a hood for the carriage body having hinge plates which overlie and are secured to the end faces of one of the hood bows at the corners of the hood, said plates having right angularly related arms which extend away from the hood generally parallel to the side thereof and also extend forwardly of the hood and are provided at their forward ends with pivot openings, said plates also having right angularly related plate portions which extend in the opposite direction from said arms and overlie the hood sides at the corners thereof.

5. In a baby carriage construction, a hood hinge comprising a flat plate adapted to be secured against an end face of the hood at a corner thereof, said plate having a right angularly related plate portion adapted to overlie the side of the hood at the corner thereof, said plate on the side opposite said plate portion having an oppositely right angularly extended integral arm which extends forwardly of the plate and has therein a pivot pin opening.

CARL HEDSTROM, JR. 

